I think it's simple: Do they want to pursue a passion project and be upfront in that, at the cost of potentially slightly fewer subscriptions, or do they want to maximize profit no matter being portrayed as slightly disengenous marketing?
And 90% of devs opt for the second, such are the times we live in I guess...
That's kinda a strawman though in this context. People aren't talking about the game in danger of being a boring fmc fucks everyone snoozefest, they're talking about the story being harmed by a singular-laser-focus.
I don't often read this thread anymore because many of the fans seem as disengenous on this topic as the dev. "Here for a good story"? This is a preselected BBC cuckold setup on rails.
I don't mean for that to be as derisive as it sounds, many people like that fetish and that's great that a game can consistently delivery on that theme. I phrase it that way to try and cut through the imagined subtlety or plot nuances so many of the game's fans would trot out. I haven't played the most recent version, but last time I played, not once are any themes that could possibly contradict the "preselected BBC cuckold setup" ever introduced or toyed with. Darrell's presence, personality, his interest in Nat, Nat's attraction to him, etc, all feel like physical constants in the game universe, unwavering, never at risk of changing, like the speed of light or gravity on earth.
Porn games don't have to be literature, many of my favorite games take the same approach in my respective fetishes or themes, but I won't describe them as brilliant storytelling.